Cyclone on its way

We ended today at a Families in Parks sausage sizzle at school, with play equipment out for everyone to enjoy. Charizard, Jigglepuff, Pikachu and X all played and ran around happily with the other kids. So some great social time for everyone. Before that, we were at a swimming lesson where Charizard and Pikachu played on the trampoline and climbing frame outside. Jigglepuff loves watching them have fun in the fresh air.

But that was AFTER homeschool time, what did we do? Well, today was an adventurous day, we spent a lot of time outdoors. First Charizard and Jigglepuff paid a visit to the Chelsea Sugar Factory. We picked up some recipes which we want to try, and we also looked at a very striking piece of art based on Kiwi life, old and new: which had been inspired by Chelsea Sugar and which the company are using as decoration for their packaging this year. Charizard pointed out how it was exactly the kind of art he liked - he wanted the word again, which was abstract. We talked about how Andy Warhol's art - which we looked at last year - used advertising and packaging, and how this was doing it the other way around. Jigglepuff was really impressed by Charizard's memory for art from a year ago.

After that Charizard took some photographs which we might work on for the homeschool art fair. We drove home and had morning break, then Jigglepuff noticed Charizard had started listening to The Midnight Folk of his own accord, so she changed the structure of the day to accommodate his interests. Jigglepuff looked online for a poem by John Masefield to show Charizard - Sea Fever - but Charizard didn't like that poem AT ALL! She'll have to try harder to find one that he does like. Then we watched 'The Happy Scientist,' and enjoyed the lesson about crystals and refracting light. Charizard found the kaleidoscope afterwards and showed Jigglepuff how it refracted light through the plastic crystals. What great realworld learning, Charizard! Then it was time to go out for Charizard's homeschool drama lesson. After that, his teacher commented how well he'd listened and taken part, even with a broken toe. Well done Charizard for showing fortitude. He didn't like the part he was given though because he wanted to be someone nice.

Carschooling: in the morning we talked about puppets, remembering the puppet show that we had been to earlier in the week. Jigglepuff told the story of the Japanese puppet theatre developing, and how the legend tells us that it was as a result of a playwright getting angry at actors not liking their parts! and that puppets would do as they were told. In the afternoon we listened to Groovy Greeks (Horrible Histories) which made Charizard laugh an awful lot. I'm not sure what the Burger King attendant thought when he told her all about it, though...

Jigglepuff's favourite bit of the day was seeing the beautiful crystals and learning about how sunglasses are made.
Charizard's favourite bit of the day was taking photos and the sausage sizzle.